Before the T20 World Cup 2026, the controversy related to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh is no longer limited to Asia only. Two former England captains, Nasir Hussain and Michael Atherton, have openly expressed their views on this entire matter and have supported the stand of Pakistan and Bangladesh. Both the greats have raised questions on the International Cricket Council (ICC) and said that it is not treating all the countries equally and more concessions are being given to India and BCCI.

Where did the controversy start?

The root of this entire controversy is believed to be the decision related to Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman. Recently BCCI had released Mustafizur from the IPL team. After this, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) refused to play the match of T20 World Cup 2026 to be held in India citing security reasons. Bangladesh refused to back down on its decision, due to which the ICC expelled them from the tournament and replaced them with Scotland.

After this, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) came out in support of Bangladesh and announced to boycott the India-Pakistan match to be held on 15 February. This decision has raised questions on both the credibility and future of the tournament.

Nasir Hussain’s big statement

While talking to Michael Atherton in Sky Cricket Podcast, Nasir Hussain said that he liked the stand of Bangladesh and Pakistan. According to Hussain, it was necessary for someone to tell BCCI and ICC that sports and politics should be kept separate.

Hussain said that Bangladesh raised its voice strongly for its player and Pakistan supported it, which according to him is not wrong. He also said that the money and earnings related to India-Pakistan match is the only weapon with which pressure can be put on ICC or India.

‘Cricket is breaking rather than uniting’

Giving the example of Asia Cup, Nasir Hussain said that earlier cricket used to unite countries, but now it is separating them. He mentioned the incident when Indian players refused to shake hands with Pakistani players and the latter did not even accept the Asia Cup trophy. Hussain called it very disappointing. He said that the current controversy had started when Mustafizur was suddenly removed from the IPL squad. After this the situation continued to deteriorate.

What if India existed?

Nasir Hussain also asked an important question to ICC. He said that if India had said just before any tournament that its government was not giving permission to play in any country, would ICC have taken such a strict stand? According to Hussain, ICC should treat all member countries equally, be it India, Pakistan or Bangladesh.

He also added that India certainly has money and power, but with power comes responsibility. If small countries are repeatedly suppressed, their cricket will become weak and the matches will become one-sided.

Michael Atherton also raised questions

Michael Atherton also raised questions on the role of ICC in the same podcast. He reminded that India had refused to go to Pakistan in the Champions Trophy 2025 and had got permission to play all its matches in Dubai. According to Atherton, Bangladesh is now demanding the same concession.

Atherton said that the decisions of Bangladesh and Pakistan have not come suddenly, but there is a whole sequence of events behind it. ICC should show impartiality and apply the same rules for every country.

Difficult times for ICC

It is clear from the statements of Nasir Hussain and Michael Atherton that this matter is no longer limited to Asian politics only. Big names of international cricket are also raising questions on the policies of ICC. In the coming days, it will be interesting to see how ICC resolves this dispute.

The matter of Bangladesh being out of T20 World Cup 2026 is continuously in discussion. Meanwhile, a tweet by former Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Yusuf surfaced, on which many questions were raised on social media. Many people have called his claim wrong and misleading. Due to which he is being made fun of on social media.

What did Mohammad Yusuf say?

Mohammad Yusuf wrote on social media platform He claimed that the total viewership of the 10 countries is around 178 million, while Bangladesh alone gives 176 million viewers.

Yusuf said that cricket is a global game and in such a situation, ignoring the security concerns of Bangladesh shows the wrong thinking of the ICC. He also wrote that cricket should not be run by “pressure or influence” but by “rules and principles”.

Why was there criticism on social media?

After this tweet by Yusuf, many fans and journalists raised questions on his figures. People said that viewership figures cannot be calculated directly like this. Many users said that it is wrong to blame ICC without correct facts. For this reason Yusuf was trolled heavily on social media.

Why was Bangladesh excluded?

The ICC has excluded Bangladesh from the T20 World Cup 2026 and included Scotland in its place. The reason for this was that Bangladesh Cricket Board had refused to play in India. The board had cited security reasons. This controversy increased further when an incident related to Bangladeshi bowler Mustafizur Rahman came to light in the IPL. Bangladesh said that if one player is not safe, then how will the safety of the entire team be decided. However, the ICC clearly said that the IPL incident is a domestic matter and has nothing to do with the security arrangements of the World Cup.

support of pakistan

Pakistan has supported Bangladesh on this issue. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi termed ICC’s decision wrong and said that the final decision on whether Pakistan will play in the T20 World Cup will be taken by the Government of Pakistan. It is also being said in some reports that options like boycotting the match against India are being considered.

Former cricketers of Pakistan have requested the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that the Pakistan team must play in the T20 World Cup. He clearly says that Pakistan cricket cannot be led towards destruction in the name of supporting Bangladesh. Even after the meeting between PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, a decision could not be taken on Pakistan’s participation in the World Cup. Naqvi said that the final decision can be taken on Friday or Monday next week.

Former Pakistan Test captain Mohammad Hafeez has requested the PCB to send the Pakistan team to play the World Cup. Former chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board Khalid Mahmood and former secretary of the board Arif Ali Abbasi also reiterated the same thing. Abbasi said that the decision to support Bangladesh was understandable, but what does boycotting the World Cup have to do with it.

Abbasi said, “What about the relations with Sri Lanka? Obviously, if Pakistan does not play, Sri Lanka will have to suffer because all the matches of the Pakistan team are to be held in Sri Lanka.” On the other hand, Khalid Mahmood also said that PCB should focus more on Pakistan cricket.

What basis does Pakistan have?

Mohsin Khan, a former test batsman and chief selector of Pakistan, said that even if relations between India and Pakistan are not good, the Pakistani team is already going to play all its matches in Sri Lanka. Mohsin Khan said that in such a situation, on what basis is the PCB thinking of boycotting the T20 World Cup? Doing this will not be good for Pakistan cricket.

Apart from him, former captains of Pakistan cricket team, Inzamam ul Haq and Mohammad Yusuf have also said that PCB should take any major decision only after thinking very carefully. All these people say that Pakistan should think about the interest of its cricketers before Bangladesh.

Also read:

New trouble in front of Bangladesh, ICC took action, BCB will not be able to do anything even if it wants to.

After being out of the T20 World Cup 2026, the situation within the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) seems to be getting more complicated. As soon as the team was out, such decisions were taken in the board, on which questions are now being raised. The latest issue is the reappointment of BCB Director M. Nazmul Islam, which is being seen as a “betrayal” of Bangladeshi cricketers.

In fact, on Sunday, board director Ishtihak Sadiq suddenly resigned from his post. A few hours later, BCB again made M. Nazmul Islam the chairman of the Finance Committee. This is the same Nazmul Islam, who was removed from this post some time ago due to controversial statements. Now his return has again created tension in the relations between the cricketers and the board.

The whole matter is related to T20 World Cup controversy

When there was a debate in Bangladesh about playing the T20 World Cup 2026 matches in India, many senior and current players had raised questions on security and diplomatic issues. Meanwhile, Nazmul Islam made a scathing attack on these players and even called them “India agents”. His statement had spread immense anger in the cricket world.

In fact, many players including former captain Tamim Iqbal had appealed to BCB to discuss this issue with ICC and BCCI. However, Nazmul’s statements added fuel to the fire. The situation reached such a stage that the Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) announced a players’ strike. This had a direct impact on the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL 2025) and many matches were stopped.

First removed, now reinstated

BCB came under pressure after the crisis over BPL deepened. After which Nazmul Islam was removed from the post of Chairman of the Finance Committee and a show cause notice was also issued to him. At that time the board had described his statements as “inappropriate”. However, now, as soon as ICC has decided to exclude Bangladesh from the T20 World Cup, BCB has changed its stand.

According to media reports, Nazmul had replied to the notice, which the board has accepted as satisfactory. On this basis, he was again appointed to the same important post. Many players have found this decision shocking.

Keep an eye on players’ reaction

At present, there has been no official reaction from the players on this new deployment. However, Bangladeshi media believes that this decision may create controversy again in the coming days. On one hand the players are talking about respect and trust, on the other hand this step of the board can further increase the distance between the two.

The ongoing controversy regarding T20 World Cup 2026 now seems to be ending for Bangladesh. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has officially accepted the decision of the International Cricket Council (ICC), under which Bangladesh has been thrown out of the tournament. The board has made it clear that now it will not take any further challenge or legal process regarding this decision.

Changed stance after ICC decision

ICC had recently confirmed that Scotland will play in place of Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup 2026 to be held in India and Sri Lanka. After this, a response came from the Bangladesh Cricket Board. BCB admitted that it tried its best, but the ICC Board remained adamant on its decision.

BCB media committee chairman Amjad Hussain said that the board had requested several times to shift the match and change the group, but nothing happened. In such a situation, there is no option left except accepting the ICC’s decision.

Security concerns about playing in India

Bangladesh’s stance from the beginning was that it was not safe for the team to go to India and play. This concern was not limited to just the players, but the government had also expressed objection regarding the safety of the support staff and journalists accompanying the team. Amjad Hussain clearly said that this decision was taken not only after the advice of the cricket board but also after the advice of the government.

Decision taken in government cabinet meeting

According to Amjad, a cabinet meeting of the Bangladesh government was held after the ICC board meeting. In this meeting it was decided that in the current circumstances it is not possible for the team to go to India. ICC had given BCB 24 hours to give a final decision on its participation. In response to this, the board made it clear in a simple manner that their team cannot play as per the given schedule,

BCB will not go into any dispute resolution process

BCB has also made it clear that it has never approached the ICC’s Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) and will not resort to any mediation or legal recourse in the future. The board says that it fully respects the ICC’s decision.

The decision came after voting

In this entire matter, the ICC had also conducted an internal assessment of India’s security arrangements, in which no threat of any kind was revealed. After this, voting took place in the ICC Board, where except Bangladesh and Pakistan, all the other member countries voted against shifting the match. On the basis of this, Scotland was given a place in the tournament.

Bangladesh, due to its stupidity, has been out of T20 World Cup 2026, in its place ICC has included Scotland in the tournament. Meanwhile, corruption has been exposed in Bangladesh Cricket Board. Board director Mokhlesur Rahman has been accused of corruption, after which he has resigned from the post of chairman of the audit committee. Let us tell you that this matter is related to BPL (Bangladesh Premier League).

Journalist Riyasad Azim exposed this corruption on social media, after which the Integrity Unit of BCB has started investigation. The report has been confirmed by a board spokesperson that BCB is taking these allegations seriously and is investigating. Mokhlesur Rahman is a board member from Chapainawabaganj district. He became the director only on October 6, 2025. Now, until the investigation is completed, he will remain under investigation.

The big thing is that this matter is being investigated under the leadership of Alex Marshall, who has been the head of the ICC Integrity Unit. He is reviewing the report of corruption in the last season of Bangladesh Premier League. Now he will also investigate Mokhlesur’s case.

Second controversy came to light in a month

For the second time this month, a director of Bangladesh Cricket Board has come into controversy. Angered by the derogatory comments made by director M. Nazmul Islam, the players boycotted the Bangladesh Premier League. Then Nazmul was removed from the post of Chairman of the Finance Committee. However, he was still seen in the President’s Box in the stadium.

Bangladesh cricket is going through a difficult phase right now, and Bangladesh itself is responsible for it. BCB officials made unreasonable demand for change in the schedule a month before the start of T20 World Cup 2026, which was impossible. Despite full assurance of security by ICC, Bangladesh remained adamant on not playing in India, the result was that ICC removed them from the tournament and gave place to Scotland.

Bangladesh is scheduled to withdraw from the T20 World Cup 2026 to be hosted by India and Sri Lanka. A media report has revealed that Scotland is going to replace Bangladesh in the World Cup. The International Cricket Council (ICC) may soon declare Scotland as the replacement for Bangladesh.

ICC had rejected Bangladesh’s demand to change the venue. After this, Bangladesh Cricket Board termed this decision as unjust and demanded the intervention of the Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) in this matter. But according to the latest update, DRC has refused to hear Bangladesh’s appeal in this matter.

Quoting news agency PTI, an ICC source said that the DRC will not hear Bangladesh’s appeal because it is outside its protocol to raise a matter related to a decision already taken by the ICC Board. Bangladesh could have presented its demand before the DRC, but if we look at the rules, it is not possible for this matter to be heard.

In the same PTI report, it was also revealed that ICC officials are very angry with Bangladesh Cricket Board President Aminul Islam Bulbul. The reason for this resentment is that the BCB President had given a press conference without informing the ICC. Whereas ICC considers Asif Nazrul (Sports Advisor to Bangladesh Government) as an undesirable person.

The news is that Scotland’s participation in the T20 World Cup 2026 is now almost certain. ICC can officially declare Scotland as the replacement for Bangladesh tomorrow i.e. on 24th January. Let us tell you that the organization of T20 World Cup 2026 is going to start from 7th February.

Also read:

‘Harshit Rana can never become Mohammed Shami’, fellow player opens march against Gautam Gambhir; The statement created an uproar

The name of Bangladesh Cricket Board’s acting president Aminul Islam Bulbul is held in high regard in Bangladesh cricket. He took over as the President of BCB in May 2025 itself, but perhaps even he would not have guessed that after about 7-8 months, he would have to go through his biggest test as President.

Under the chairmanship of Aminul Islam Bulbul, Bangladesh has decided to withdraw from the T20 World Cup 2026. Bangladesh Government’s Sports Advisor Asif Nazrul has been continuously giving provocative statements in the past and this decision has been taken because of his stubbornness. Giving a political angle to security concerns, he used words like ‘insult to the nation’.

Bangladesh lost crores of rupees

Bangladesh is insisting on boycotting T20 World Cup 2026, but its consequences can be serious. If it is out of the T20 World Cup, Bangladesh will not get ICC’s revenue share. This means Bangladesh will be deprived of the annual income from ICC.

Bangladesh receives approximately 4.46 percent of ICC revenue annually, which is equivalent to approximately US$27 million. This amount is equivalent to 325 taka in Bangladeshi currency. Be it BCB or BCCI, cricket boards of all countries earn a good amount of money from broadcasting, but by boycotting the T20 World Cup, they will lose not only broadcasting but also sponsorship income.

Only Asif Nazrul is working

Bangladesh Cricket Board meeting was held on 22 January. According to media reports, Asif Nazrul spoke mostly in that entire meeting. Being the BCB President, Aminul Islam Bulbul remained silent in the meeting. If sources are to be believed, the players also did not say much during the meeting, because due to the incident with Tamim Iqbal, fear had settled in the minds of the players.

Also read:

IND vs NZ 2nd T20: Second T20 between India and New Zealand today, who will win? Know playing eleven, pitch report and match prediction

Now a big statement from former Indian cricketer Atul Wasan has come out on the ongoing dispute between India and Bangladesh regarding T20 World Cup 2026. Vasan has advised Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to look at this tournament as an opportunity to improve mutual relations instead of demanding to move the matches out of India.

Atul Wasan’s advice to Bangladesh

Speaking to ANI, Atul Vasan said that there is no need to worry about security in India. According to him, there are strong security arrangements for international events in India and there is no scope for any mistake in ICC level tournaments.

Wasan specifically mentioned Bangladesh captain Liton Das and said that his captaincy should be seen as a positive sign. He said that Bangladesh should understand that their captain is a Hindu and this can be used to increase trust between the two countries, and not to further escalate the dispute.

Shifting matches ‘logistical nightmare’ for ICC

The former cricketer clearly said that shifting the matches to another place just before the start of the tournament would be a “logistical nightmare” for the ICC. Preparations for the World Cup start a long time ago and it is almost impossible to make changes so close.

He believes that ICC cannot change the entire plan on the demand of any one team. If every team starts taking decisions as per its convenience, then organizing a big tournament will become difficult.

Conflict in the stance of BCB and ICC

Atul Wasan also said that BCB’s concerns do not match the ICC’s view. He said in gestures that ICC must have given a clear message to Bangladesh, either play as per the scheduled schedule or be ready to be out of the tournament.

BCB stands by its decision

Meanwhile, BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul has also made it clear that the board is firm on its decision to play its matches in India. He said that despite ICC rejecting the request, Bangladesh’s stand has not changed.

World Cup will start from 7th February

It is noteworthy that the T20 World Cup 2026 is to start from February 7, which will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka. In such a situation, it will be interesting to see in the coming days whether Bangladesh sticks to its stand or finds a middle path with ICC.

Before the T20 World Cup 2026, the big decision of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is now in the headlines. After refusing to play in this mega tournament to be held in India, Bangladesh will not only have to face cricketing losses but will also have to pay a heavy price financially. According to reports, this decision may cause direct loss to Bangladesh of about 27 million US dollars i.e. about Rs 240 crore.

Decision taken after ICC ultimatum

The International Cricket Council (ICC) had clearly told Bangladesh that if it is not ready to play in India, then another team will be given a chance in its place. In the meeting held on Wednesday, ICC made this stand clear in the presence of all the member countries. Despite this, the Bangladesh government and the cricket board remained firm on their decision.

Bangladesh’s sports advisor Asif Nazrul said after the meeting with the team players that ICC’s proposal is not acceptable to him. He said that he has concerns about security in India and he will not take any decision under pressure.

How much will be the financial loss?

According to PTI report, due to not participating in the T20 World Cup, Bangladesh will lose about 325 crore Bangladeshi Taka (about 27 million dollars) in the annual income it receives from ICC. This amount is received from the revenue share of ICC. Apart from this, earnings from broadcasting rights and sponsorship will also be affected. It is estimated that BCB will see a decline of 60 percent or more in its total income in the current financial year.

Danger looms on India tour too

This decision may also impact future bilateral series. There is news that India’s tour of Bangladesh in August-September may also be cancelled. The TV rights of this series were considered very important for Bangladesh, which gives earnings equal to many series with other countries.

Players will suffer the biggest loss

Although the Bangladesh Board has assured the players that they will not be allowed to lose match fees, but the real blow will be to their careers. The opportunity to play on a big stage like the T20 World Cup is special for every player. Top players consider competition and recognition more important than money, and with this decision they will be deprived of that opportunity. Overall, the decision to boycott T20 World Cup 2026 can prove to be a big challenge for Bangladesh cricket in the future.